The Ponaganset Chieftains will be playing at home against the Portsmouth Patriots at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hopefully Ponaganset focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 16 on Monday.
Last Monday, Ponaganset faced La Salle Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Ponaganset walked away with a 50-41 victory over La Salle Academy. The win made it back-to-back wins for Ponaganset.
It was another big night for Jaina Yekelchik, who scored 26 points along with five rebounds and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Paige Doolittle, who scored ten points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth came up short against St. Mary Academy-Bay View on Monday and fell 50-43. Portsmouth has struggled against St. Mary Academy-Bay View recently, as their contest on Monday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Gyselle Mairs, who scored nine points along with two steals and two blocks. That's the first time this season that she posted two or more blocks. The team also got some help courtesy of Annie Hurd, who scored nine points along with six rebounds and four blocks.
Even though they lost, Portsmouth smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Ponaganset has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. As for Portsmouth, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-3.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Ponaganset have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 33.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Portsmouth struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 29 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Ponaganset came up short against Portsmouth in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, falling 58-53. Will Ponaganset have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
